Leaves In The Water
by MysticMew
Summary: Two sages find unexpected consolation in each other’s arms in the face of their beloved’s wedding. Sister story to "Spiritual Attraction". (for full-version see the Distribution in the header)


Title: Leaves In The Water

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Email: Solarsenshigmx.de

(Plot) Beta-reader: Ayrki (sort of)

Status: Alpha

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda

Rating: PG-13/NC-17

Category: Romance, Lemon

Timeline: The Ocarina of Time, several years later

Continuum: Sister story to "Spiritual Attraction"

Pairing: Saria/Ruto (implied Link/Zelda)

Summary: Two sages find unexpected consolation in each other's arm in the face of their beloved's wedding.

Distribution: MSD (http:ww.catstrio.de), , a toned down version minus the lemon bits), Mediaminer ), Shoujo ), ASMR )

Legal Disclaimer: This story contains graphical description of two females of two different species (sort of) engaged in sexual activity. If this bothers you, go back to where you came from and never come back… to this story at least. :)

Disclaimer: TLOZ belongs to Nintendo, I am merely borrowing the characters and having fun with them

Story Disclaimer: Leaves In The Water(c)2005 by Matthias Engel

Note: This story is submitted as a lemon, yet I have clearly marked the actual lemon part so that you can choose whether or not you want to read it. The lemon part is no necessary to understand/follow the story, being an added bonus at the end.

Leaves In The Water

By Matthias Engel aka MysticMew

I watched listlessly as tiny fireflies danced through the leaves, mixing and mingling with the fairies and other mysterious creatures of my realm. Someone not born or raised in these woods would not even be able to distinguish the many different species. For them, they would just be spook spheres of light. There was nothing spooky about them though. Actually, right now, I envied them. They all knew their place, knew their task in the cycle of life. A simplistic life that knew only that which was important for themselves.

No cross-race interaction, no greater fate that took you away from home, set you apart from those you called kin.

I sighed softly, closing my eyes, listening to the sounds around me, feeling the atmosphere of the place I had called home for several long and innocent years. Yes, back then it had been innocent. Without care for the future, for what awaited us, we had no idea. Sure, I always had had a special connection to the Lost Woods, the spirits within, however, I would not have imagined the source turning out to lead to such a… sad fate.

This was no good. Usually I could go anywhere in the Lost Woods and get my mind off my problems, to wash away the melancholy that at times settled into my soul. Today though, today nothing had the ability to lift my mood. He wasn't here anymore and he might as well never come back now. Why should he? He led a different life now, had for some time already, and while I shared the same destiny with him, we still lived in two different worlds. Before today, I had always managed to lure myself into the false belief that maybe, just maybe there might still be some hope, that nothing had changed, that we could stay the way we were in younger years forever. He had been my last anchor, my last "link" to my childhood days. And he was gone now, beyond my reach. These days were over and would never return.

I blinked my eyes open, noticing a ripple in the clear surface of the small pond. I had settled down here, feet dangling in the water, since the meadow was invoking even more memories right now. Startled I scooted backwards a little as something emerged from the water, sending a spray of the cool liquid sprinkling over my body. For a moment I stared transfixed at the graceful form of the other. The water was glistering on her bluish skin, giving it a kind of sparkling effect, enhancing the exotic beauty of its owner. She had matured into a prime specimen of her kin, that was something I could freely admit. Having dealt with different species and their physiologies over years, that had been one of the easiest things to adjust to after becoming a Sage. Those different races outside, Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, Gerudos… They were all unique but all of them were also living beings that should be respected for what they were instead of measuring with one's own common standards.

"There you are," Princess Ruto, Sage of Water, stated matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips. "I figured you'd be here pitying yourself."

A groan rose to my lips, averting my gaze quickly, not quite sure what had made me stare in the first place. "Leave me alone. I'm not in the mood," I grumbled, albeit knowing it was foolish. It had been an odd… friendship… that had formed between us. Yes, I suppose you could call it friendship, or maybe a kinship. Most of the time I was actually glad for the company of the slightly bossy and haughty Zora Princess. She wasn't really a bad person, once you got to know her. Most of her attitude came from a great deal of spoiling in her youth, or that is what I suspected, and often her open and direct expression of feeling was a refreshing counter for my bouts of depression. That didn't stop it from being annoying most of the time…

Ruto looked crossly at me for a moment. "Right, that's what I figured." I expected some kind of lecture to come and inwardly prepared myself but what really came I was unprepared to hear from the young Zora. "Why didn't you drop that disguise by now?"

For the second time since her arrival I found myself staring at Ruto, this time with disbelief. "How did you…?"

She gave me a hurt look. "Everyone, even _She_," the pronoun was used with a distinctive disdain, "I think, does. He would see through it to if he wasn't so blinded by appearance and memories."

I sighed audibly, acknowledging defeat. Deep down I had known that the only ones important to me that I was probably able to fool were the other Kokiri. Of course the Sages would see through it. "That is why it would have never made a difference," I replied sadly, at the same time letting the magic of the illusion spell around me dispel, my body seemingly growing mysteriously to that of a young teenager, woman nearly. My green hair fell long over my back, past my shoulders and nearly reaching my waist.

The admiring stare from Ruto was a little disconcerting.

By Nayru! I was by far not an expert for Hylian or other human-like species' beauty attributes but… When the Hylian's admired Zelda for her beauty, they'd probably go crazy seeing Saria now. Oh, there wasn't that much of a superficial difference, concerning features and whatnot. However, what had before been cute child that even I had found somewhat adoring on first glance, had now transformed into a woman whose body was well-developed to a degree that could easy rival the stereotype beauty of Hyrule's beauty or the dominating, kind of exotic appearance of Nabooru. Of course, I was still prettier but… she was really coming close.

While I had been able to tell that she had woven a spell around herself to maintain her appearance of a young child, I had not been able to really look through it. I suspected that was because it wasn't really an illusion. Maybe more like an ability, switching as she pleased. I would sometimes give a lot for that. Would be a need way to escape the numerous royal duties or father's pressure on me to find a suitable mate.

Now, with today, my last excuse had been taken away with the wedding that just a few minutes ago had drawn to a close. I had actually expected Saria to slip away early. I had barely been able to endure the entire thing smiling with the forced dignity of royalty. Let the public say what they want about the "perfect match", about the "best royal couple ever", the "fairytale wedding". To me it was a farce, it was a mistake. I could not understand why it wasn't prevented, why especially Rauru hadn't said a word. I had read about this long ago. The lines of hero and princess should never be united… And yet the wedding had taken place, leaving behind the two remaining other suitors with empty hands and broken hearts.

It hurt, to see them so happy, knowing that the possibility was far beyond my grasp, had always been. It had been a child's fantasy, innocent and ultimately meaningless. I had acknowledged that to myself already, yet the little glimmer of a last feeble hope was there. Unfounded surely, but one could dream, right?

Her, though… She had every right to be depressed and it pained me to see it. All that had stood between them was the age problem, the racial difference, or so I had thought. Now though, Saria's comment made me rethink that theory. If this really had been all, she would have had no reason to hide this from him. "Are you so sure about that?" I asked with a little doubt but also curious.

Saria shifted uncomfortably, making me aware that I was still staring at her, no more like… evaluating. Shifting my gaze away slightly, I chastened myself mentally for that unconscious reaction. This wasn't helping her to relax at all.

"I will always be the little girl, the best friend. This," Saria gestured at her grown form, "is just physical. It doesn't change what is in the heart."

_And if he had decided for her just because of the physical aspect it wouldn't have been love_, I finished the unspoken in my mind, sympathizing with the logic but at the same time seeing it as a great shame to not at least try. She was just too kind, too good-natured for that, probably had told herself that someone of his own kin was better for him to begin with, that their relationship was doomed.

If you asked me that was nonsense. Seven years ago, when all this started, I probably would have been frightened by myself for admitting that but… If anyone deserved Link it was Saria. She was the only one who I would have readily been happy for. Not that mismatch, that illusion he and Zelda were celebrating today. They had no idea what they were doing to that innocent child who had her whole existence turned upside down by the events, by her awakening as a Sage. At least most of us could still live pretty much normally. Saria, however, had lost so much, the bonds to her own realm, to the childhood she had grown up in had been severely strained. To a degree I could understand that or at least I tried to.

Well, I wasn't here just to contemplate all that. I never was good at that kind of stuff; thinking I mean. Saria was my friend, as odd as the association had started off and been until now. If anyone should be qualified to understand and share her pain, it should be me. And as that, it should be me who helped her to get over it. Fortunately I had a sure and fail proof method to do so.

The devilish grin appearing on the Zora's face was the only warning I got. I barely managed to shield myself from the sudden spray of water and the next moment I was already drenched, feeling the cool liquid on my bare skin…

Wait a second!

I glanced down at myself mortified, just standing there for several long seconds before my brain even managed to process the visual information properly. I was sitting there in the grass of the pond area butt-naked!

In a flash I was on my feet, leveling a death glare at the apparent – and only available – evildoer. My jaw dropped slightly as I saw the Zora Princess waving a bundle of clothes in one hand, looking quite pleased with herself. My clothes!

"Hmm, didn't think it would work that well," Ruto contemplated thoughtfully, then, as if just noticing my agitation, shifted her gaze. "Oh? You lost something?" And before I could react a sprout of water catapulted her into the air and over my own form. I whirled around but she was already moving again. "Come on! Catch me, if you want them back!"

Damn, how could she run that fast? On land? I had moved before the command had really formed as a conscious thought. "Come back here! I know what you are trying to do!" Oh yes, I did. That was just the sort of thing I expected, feared and maybe, maybe hoped for just a little bit. Not in such an extreme form though!

Ruto giggled and accelerated a bit more. "Really? Why are you going along with it then?" Right now I was really angry with myself not to get used to this body. I was accustomed to the pace of a small child, not this adult form. "After all I thought you Kokiri were too innocent to have qualms about running around nude once in awhile." She was actually right about that but I would surely not admit that, besides contact with the outside had influenced my ethics just a little bit.

The Zora Princess was weaving a path through the forest maze now but somehow managing not to get lost even once. It shouldn't really surprise me. Anyone sensitive enough should be able to follow the hidden path. I skidded to a halt in one of the clearings, not sure which way my quarry had taken. Something caught my attention but when I had turned Ruto was already off again, abandoning her hiding place behind one of the boulders.

"Stop that!" I shouted in vain protest, knowing it was futile. "What if someone sees us?" Many had seen us already. The fairies and other creatures inhabiting the woods. They didn't care all that much though and I think the other Sage knew that all too well.

"Lighten up, already!" Ruto shouted back and continued to run. She was making her way back to the pond I noticed.

Adrenaline was pumping through my veins and I felt the knot of depression unwind, the bubble of sadness ready to burst any moment. She was doing it again and while I did not – and usually never did at first – agree with her method, I felt genuine gratitude. I could see over the short distance that Ruto was enjoying herself just as much as she was trying to bring me to enjoy myself. There was that teasing gleam in her eyes, slowly mingling with a sense of victory as she must have noticed my resolve faltering.

"Give…" A giggle. "… them back…" Light, tickling laughter, brewing just underneath the surface to erupt any moment. "… already!" I couldn't help myself. Laughter spilled from my lips as I continued to chase the elusive Zora through the Lost Woods. It was refreshing. Free and genuine, just like back then with Link, before all this had started and afterwards when she had come to cheer me up this way.

Somehow Ruto had always managed to draw it out with her playfulness. I envied her for that, that despite growing up, shouldering all those royal duties, she still managed to maintain some of this childlike innocence, that playfulness. Others might find it foolish, unsuited for someone of her standing. I found it simply refreshing.

We had reached the pond again and while I was bathing in the joy of the moment, the unrestricted freedom, the harmony between two souls estranged from their own kin through circumstances beyond their control, I was still aware enough to identify the attempt for what it was. Not stopping to concentrate I muttered a few words just as Ruto dived down into the water, heading for the warp portal, connecting mine and her realm. Without hesitation I jumped after her, not even taking notice of the actual target lying on the ground next to the pond...

Just as I expected. She was following. It seemed the usual routine was working again, thankfully. I had half-expected her to get really angry, as uncharacteristically as that might be. The ceremony must have provoked a deeper pain when she was showing. Saria was the kind of person who rather kept her personal problems to herself, in favor of not wishing to worry those around her. As much as that might be admirable at times, it was also self-destructive. And I could not just stand by and watch.

Glancing behind me I saw her breaking the surface and moving with a surprising agility. Another thing that had come as a pleasant surprise. Unlike Link who never was that good a swimmer without Zora items to assist him, the Forest Sage was much more talented. And faster. _Not that she can catch me if I don't want her to_, I thought smugly, speeding up a little, only to almost smash into the force field emitting a faint, nearly transparent glimmer.

"Clever," I admired and waited just a little longer for Saria to catch up before I twisted my body into a sharp turn maneuver, slipping past underneath her. For a brief second our gazes locked and I could see the happy, carefree sparkle in blue eyes. That alone was worth it. A smile was briefly formed and answered, before I shot past her, back to the surface and dry land.

My eyes widened in amazement when the other girl managed to nearly copy the maneuver perfectly, keeping close on my tail. For someone not natural and equipped to the element this was quite impressive. Realizing that there was little point in trying further and seeing that I had reached my goal already, I decided to let Saria catch up the rest of the way, just as we broke the surface again. The pond was too small to give me any greater advantage and with the warp portal blocked there was no other option. Oh, I could have warped by myself but that was cheating and where was the fun in that?

Giggles burst forth from both us, chasing away the melancholy and depression that had claimed us since the ceremony earlier on. I might have not shown it as much as she had but seeing them getting married had been just as painful for me, and thus this moment of untainted joy was just as refreshing for me as it was for her. Saria had tackled me from behind and now had her arms tightly around my slippery body. I guess I probably could have slipped away but I didn't want to. A tingle ran up and down my entire form and I was all too aware of it. This felt good. Not the liberating laughter. That too, but also the closeness, the kinship… maybe more.

"Now that is better," I said seriously, grinning like the winner I felt being. And even though Saria might have caught me, that had never been the true goal of the chase. The true goal I had already achieved. I doubt the wedding or Link even crossed the other's mind right now.

"You are incorrigible," Saria giggled, trying to tickle me without much success. Zora-skin wasn't all that sensitive to the beloved human friendly torture method. Not that either of us cared very much.

I wasn't quite sure what made me say it this way. Okay, maybe in the back of my mind where had been a plan, an option pursued and analyzed, yet the words slipped out without much conscious thought. "You are much more beautiful when you are happy." And Link was an idiot for spoiling that so badly.

Saria blushed, obviously becoming quite aware how close we were with her being naked – a concept that never held much worth for us Zoras. She averted her gaze slightly, simultaneously trying to pull away but I was quick to turn around and entangle her legs with my own. "Why are you always trying so hard with me? After all we are supposed to be rivals," the Forest Sage asked quietly.

"Were," I pointed out. "Besides, that never was the point anyway." I favored her with an affectionate smile and in that moment a decision was made. There was something between us that I couldn't ignore anymore and if I was honest with myself, I didn't even want to. Reaching out I cupped the other girl's chin with one hand, forcing her to look at me as I leaned forward. "Maybe I simply like you."

Not hesitating a second I crossed the last bit of distance, lips meeting in a soft, promising contact. Pleasantly surprised I noticed not the tiniest bit of hesitation on Saria's part. She melted into the kiss just like that, falling against me as my arms came around her form, pulling her close. This wasn't really passionate, it wasn't exactly long either but… it was a promise. A promise for something more, something better to come. Solace, salvation, maybe it wasn't much more right now but it could become more.

"Maybe I just like you," I repeated when we parted, our faces just inches apart, "A lot."

THE END (for now)

Author's Notes

To be honest, I started this last year at some point (can't really remember) and then kind of left it almost finished. Actually all I did was just do superficial corrections and add the lemon bit. I think it started on another strange notion of my totally weird (and that is putting it mildly) muse. I am actually a strong Link/Saria supporter and so this was rather new for me. And should I ever get to expand this little continuity…

But no, I shouldn't tell. First because I would create false hopes and second because it would spoil the fun.

There is a sister piece to this fic, basically in the same continuum but you can read it separately or you don't have to at all (unless I decided on connecting them later through another story). It's called Spiritual Attraction and is of another strange pairing. You'll have to go and see for yourself.

Hope you liked this new, odd piece of mine. I had fun writing this and the other one, so let me know what you thought. All kind of feedback is welcomed and desired.

Ja ne, yours

Matthias


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